Are You “An” Authority or “In” Authority? A Critical Differentiator in Persuasiveness
It’s my pleasure to bring Brian Ahearn, a colleague and friend of mine, to you today as a guest blogger. I hope you enjoy his perspectives. – Mike
“An” authority vs “In” authority – it seems like a small distinction, a single vowel in front of the letter “n,” but it’s actually much more than that.
My guess is every one of you has worked for someone you thought was not qualified to be the boss. Some of you might even say that person was an idiot. Let’s face it, life isn’t fair and victory doesn’t always go to those who deserve it. Neither do raises or promotions. As a result we see people in positions of authority who ought not to be there. Sometimes they’re decent people but just not the most competent for the job. Regardless, they’re in authority over you and it’s usually not the best situation.
Now think back to other people who’ve impacted your life not because they were in a position of authority but rather because you viewed them as an authority. Who would you rather follow? The betting man in me believes you’d rather follow someone you view as an authority.
The difference is positional vs. personal, and that’s a huge difference. If you have authority because of position and nothing else, don’t expect people to follow you if you lose the title. However, if you are viewed as an authority because of who you are, that follows you everywhere. Having a position can enhance your results but results are not necessarily dependent on the position.
Who were authorities by virtue of who they were? How about Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa, to name just a few? None of them held office or had titles that made people follow them and yet the masses chose to follow.
It’s not likely you or I are the next Gandhi or Martin Luther King but we can impact our part of the world apart from having a certain position or title. Here are a few things I encourage you to focus on:
Become an expert. Each of the people I noted had a calling and while you may not have something so profound I’m willing to bet you have real passion for something. Pursue your passion and in doing so you might become the resident expert in your company, business network or circle of friends. When that happens you’ll find people calling upon you. For me the area is ethical influence and this guest blog is a result of my passion.
Work on character. People won’t simply follow because you’re an expert. They want to know they can trust you, so become a person of character. Do people know who you are and what you stand for? I think a personal mission statement is a great start.
Brand yourself. Sometimes people don’t know you but there are things you can do to enhance your authority. Why not brand yourself via phone mail and email? At work every email I send includes the phrase “When it needs to be Done Well!” I want people to know when they need something done well I’m the person they can count on. I also use that as the opening of my voicemail. Bottom line is this: if I want people to make that association with me then it’s up to me to make it happen. Building a personal brand is an effective way to build your authority.
I believe those are the three most powerful things you can do to start becoming an authority. There are a few other things that can add to your perceived authority and help you become a more persuasive person.
Appearance. There’s an old saying, “The clothes make the man.” They may not actually make you but studies show a suit can get more people to listen to you than jeans or Dockers. If that’s the case, a subtle change in appearance can make a big difference in your perceived authority and ability to influence.
Degrees and awards. What does your office say about you? Something as simple as degrees, plaques and awards hanging prominently in your office can add to your authority. People may not read them all but they convey the perception that you’re intelligent because you’ve continued your education. Also, if you have designations (CPCU, CPA, MBA, etc.) they should be a part of your email auto signature.
Books. I read about a book a week and the majority are sitting in my office at work in case I need them as references. They are usually the first thing people notice when they enter my office. The implied thought is, “Wow, if you’ve read all these you must be smart.” If they think I’m smart then they’re more apt to listen to what I have to say. And, when I share advice that works, my reputation as an authority continues to grow.
I hope I’ve convinced you that being an authority beats being in authority because you carry it with you 24x7x365. If you happen to get the promotion, title or corner office along the way, great! It’s icing on the cake and your odds of success are even higher. But the point is you can still be a person of influence, someone who impacts the world around you, by choosing to do certain things and be a certain person. Become that person!
– Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CMCT is a Senior Sales Consultant with the State Auto Insurance Companies in Columbus, OH. He’s one of only two dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers in the world. Read more of his perspectives on his blog Influence PEOPLE.
This is a great post, spot on with this message, but I disagree with showing off your degrees and awards, or including letters after your auto signature. While there are schools of thought that say that is a good thing, I've run into far larger schools that say that's "bragging."
Nobody likes a braggart. Your value shouldn't come from how many letters you can put after your name, or how many plaques you can hang on the wall. It comes from what you offer, what you can give people. I know alot of extremely booksmart folks who couldn't communicate their way out of a paper bag, much less lead anyone anywhere.
Spot on with the books thing though – I used to have quite a collection of classic books, and very often people would see them on my shelf and say -"Wow, you must be really well read."
Great overall message! Thanks for sharing Brian.
First Jim, thanks for the complimnet on the article. I wanted to follow up to share some things that might sway your opinion a little. The person I trained under, Robert Cialdini, worked with a group of physical therapists who were having difficulty getting patients to comply with at home exercises for recovery. The therapists had pretty impressive credentials so he made a small suggestion; he told them to hang their plaques, degrees and awards in thier offices. Compliance with the at home remedies went up 30% immediately.
We talk about bragging in my persuasion workshops. You are spot on to notice that done incorrectly, trying to enhance your authority can be seen as bragging. Simple example – I could read Mike Figliuolo's bio to introduce him and it would sound perfectly natural but if it came from his lips it would sound like bragging. I can tell the world what a great guy he is but he can't.
I don't think hanging degrees and the like are bad unless it comes across as shrine to yourself. I've seen those where every photo in someone's office has the person crossing the finish line, shaking hands with well known people, etc.
As far as the autosignature, it's the electronic version of the business card. I do think people should limit the number of credentials to 2 or 3 because too many could cause the opposite effect – you're all academic but not street smart.
Brian
Hi,
I have to agree with both of you. I can definitely see Jim's point in terms of letters and titles after your name. For example, I'm from Norway, and throwing titles around here could give you reputation as braggart. A professor I assisted on a course had a business card in Norwegian on one side, and English on the other. The Norwegian side had his name, his title as a professor (naturally, since this was in a university environment), while the English one also had Vice-President of the department of… etc. Quite interesting.
A different example would be Germany, where titles are extremely important, so I believe it's also a cultural question.
As to your statement, Brian, I also agree. Listening to someone telling you about their achievements (or titles and so on) in a way that tells they are genuinely proud of it is very different to a situation where you hear that they are just trying to impress you.
So, should you ever come to Norway, consider toning it down just a little bit (depends on who you meet), and you'll be fine :)
Good post, Brian.
– Lars-Christian Elvenes